wish only to indicate the major phases of the program and to
identify some high-level milestones. Again, you should try to
indicate a completion date and a cost estimate in terms of
ranges, not specifics.
Figuring Out Who Can and Will Do the Work
Before presenting your project proposal to management, you
should try to gain some assurance that the labor and materials
required for the project will be available, should you get
approval. Nothing is worse than managing a project without the
proper resources. You should normally begin the process by
searching within your organization and asking a few key ques-
tions:
- Do we have people with the necessary expertise to do the
work? - Are they willing to commit to doing the work, barring any
scheduling problems? - Would we achieve a better result by going outside the com-
pany, such as a lower cost, higher quality, or faster delivery? - Are there concerns associated with going outside the
organization, such as confidentiality and safety?
70 Project Management
Hedging Against Uncertainty
In the preliminary planning stage, particularly in anticipation of
providing a proposal to management for formal approval and
authorization to proceed, consider the following tips:- Indicate any estimates that you make in terms of ranges of possible
outcomes. For example, instead of saying that your project will cost
$500,000, say that the project costs will fall somewhere in the range
of $400,000 to $600,000, and instead of saying the project will be
completed in 17 months, say instead 16 to 19 months. - Keep any graphics that you produce relatively simple.Avoid detailed
graphics that suggest a higher level of knowledge or precision. - Clearly identify on any documents that you produce that they are
preliminary.
Applying these techniques will serve to alert management and
other stakeholders that your level of precision and confidence at this
point is not very high.